The Town Between The Trees
by No1fan15
Summary: A small village sits in the shared territory of two warring monster factions. A Halloween festival brings one from each faction into the village. The two meet. What's the worse that could happen? ( Besides falling in love, of course. )
1. Chapter 1

Fall had finally arrived in the forest. All the trees were a beautiful mix of orange, yellow, red and everything in between. The air was chilled and carried a calming scent. All the crops had been harvested and the very first frost had hit only a few days before. Somewhere in the middle of all of this there was a village.

It was small and simple. No house stood higher than two stories tall. The middle of the town had a magnificent stone fountain, currently dry, in the shape of a dragon. Surrounding it were various small market stalls. Halloween was upon the town and the people there were ready for their annual festival. Decorations had been hung from every window and pumpkins with a disparity of carved grins sat on the doorsteps. Various other gourds were piled up around stands selling honey, apples, vegetables, home baked goods, and more.

There were a few tourists already milling about the area. Many of them were returning families with their children. They were the ones who knew the vendors by name and happily perched their kids on the fountain for a picture. Others had been dared to travel the woodland path leading to the town and found themselves pleasantly surprised by the hospitality they found. Some swung tails as they passed while others floated about. The town was used to seeing the monsters in their midst. The forest was their home after all.

The two best known monster breeds were rarely seen however. Frequently one could hear a were-wolf howl at night or spot a harpy flying overhead but never had ethier stepped foot in the village. Never, that is, until today. On this brisk Halloween a set of paws crunched their way through fallen leaves down the path to the village. A bushy black tail swayed slowly behind a set of furry legs. Claw-like fingernails tapped against each other nervously and fluffy ears twitched. One very anxious were-wolf made his way out from the cover of the trees and into the village square.

He knew the town was shared territory with the harpies. They never visited it for fear of the were-wolves being there, of course, and the reverse was true for the were-wolves. Shared territory was not to be touched as conflict would always be the result. The were-wolf knew he wouldn't be able to handle a class of harpies ( A group of harpies being called a class ) but he knew he could take at least one or two and then run. He was faster than them on the ground. He also believed he had good reason for being in the village in the first place. It would he worth it he reasoned as he looked around the marketplace.

There she was. The girl who ran one of the stands with her family. Bulma. She was stunning. They were already friends but he couldn't help his infatuation with her. She brushed pale blue hair out of her face and smiled while she talked with a customer. Then she turned around an noticed him.

"Yamcha! You made it!" she exclaimed with a happy wave. He waved back while blushing shyly. She rushed over to hug him and he felt his body stiffen up. He wasn't used to being hugged by her yet. Or really being near her at all. It had taken him weeks to even approach her. He was too shy to act in any other way. Bulma finally released him from the hug and beamed. "Thanks for coming. I know you told me the village is a dangerous place for you to be in. Even visiting for a few minutes means a lot."

"Well then, prepare to be impressed, because I'm staying for the whole festival." Yamcha said with his best smile. Bulma laughed and he joined in nervously.

"I can't wait to introduce you to everyone." Bulma said. "Give me a few minutes to wrap up things at the stand and I'll get right back to you."

"Sure, no problem, I got it." Yamcha rambled before shutting up. He stood restlessly a few feet away from the stand and watched the crowd. After a while he noticed a scared looking child a few feet away from him. He slowly approached him and smiled in a way he hoped wasn't too wolfish. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"I can't find my friend." said the kid. Despite a closer look at the kid proving that he was definitely a spirit of some kind Yamcha still knelt down next to him and extended his hand.

"I could help you find them if you want." he offered. The kid eyed his hand with a margin of doubt.

"Tien told me I shouldn't trust were-wolves..." he said. After a few seconds he took Yamcha's hand anyways. "But he's not always right about stuff. Did you know that?"

"I do now. How about you tell me what your friend looks like, alright?" Yamcha said. The kid thought for a moment.

"He's about as big as you are with no hair and three eyes." he said. Yamcha nodded and stood up strait. He started scanning the town square. The kid floated a little ways above the ground but still held his hand. After a minute or so of searching the kid spoke up again. "Mr. Were-wolf? Why are you helping me?"

"The name's Yamcha, kid, and I couldn't just leave you there lost. Helping is the right thing to do." Yamcha said. The kids brow furrowed.

"Tien says that were-wolves are always doing wrong things. His masters told him that and they're really smart." said the kid. "But Tien also told me helping people is the right thing to do. So if you're doing the right thing does that mean you're not a were-wolf?"

"I'm a were-wolf kid. No doubt about that. And anyone can do the right thing, okay? It doesn't matter what kind of monster or human they are." Yamcha explained. The kid seemed confused by his answer but didn't refute it. Instead he pointed at someone in the crowd.

"I think that's him." he said. He closed his eyes and for a few moments was surrounded by a glowing aura. When it faded his eyes opened and he grinned. "Yeah, that's him! I couldn't find his energy with all these people around."

"That's... uh.. good." Yamcha said, slightly startled. He had nearly forgotten the kid was a spirit. The man the kid had pointed to turned around and spotted them.

"Chiaotzu! Where were you?" he said. He walked over to them and the kid let go of Yamcha's hand.

"There were too many people so I couldn't sense you anymore and I got lost. Mr. Yamcha helped me find you." Chiaotzu explained as he floated upwards to hug his friend. The man sighed and patted the kid's head lightly.

"I'm just glad you're okay. Remember this is shared territory. There could be..." he trailed of as he noticed Yamcha's appearance. Yamcha was already fighting to keep his growls to himself. The man was his height and had three eyes alright. He also had long feathered ears and distinctive bird like legs. There were more feathers dotting his arms that bristled slightly as he shifted into a defensive stance. A harpy. Of course. Yamcha scowled and managed to not leap into an attack.

"I'm glad you found your friend, kid, but I have to go now." he said through gritted fangs. Chiaotzu floated closer to him.

"Wait! I have an idea." he said. He turned to Tien. "You always tell me were-wolves do only wrong things but this one helped me and that's a right thing. So why don't you try to be friends? We can all explore the festival together!"


	2. Chapter 2

Yamcha had done many things during his life. Battled harpies, helped raise the village cubs, explored the entire territory and even gotten up the nerve to visit his very cute friend. Every one of these things required patience. A quality he liked to think he could be proud of.

It hadn't even been a full minute of hand holding by proxy before he decided he was done with it. Sure the kid, Chiaotzu if he remembered correctly, was cute and harmless. Yamcha had a weakness for kids. But making him visit the festival with a harpy?

Said harpy hadn't said a word since Chiaotzu had taken both of their hands and started leading them around the town square. He had an infuriatingly stoic look on his face. Yamcha hated it. He knew the harpy hated him too but he wasn't even showing it. He had to get away from him. An idea came to mind as they neared Bulma's family market stall.

"Hey, Chiaotzu, I know you want us to have fun as a group and all but I came here to hang out with a friend and I told her we'd spend some time together today." Yamcha said, gesturing to Bulma's stall. Chiaotzu looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Can she come with us?" he asked. Dammit this kid was cute. Yamcha could feel his will wavering. How did children do this to him?

"He just met us. He isn't obligated to spend any time with us, Chiaotzu, and it would be rude to force him or his friend." the harpy interjected. Yamcha looked over at him, a little shocked upon hearing him speak, and noticed the harpy was avoiding eye contact. Chiaotzu, on the other hand, started to pout.

"Can we at least meet his friend?" he asked. The harpy sighed and glanced at Yamcha momentarily.

"If he says it's okay then fine." he grumbled. Chiaotzu's face lit up and he smiled hopefully up at Yamcha.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt..." Yamcha said slowly. He smiled back at Chiaotzu and started leading him towards the stall. Of course the harpy followed as well. Yamcha ignored his presence and put on his best "I'm having fun and I'm totally not stressed beyond belief" expression. He got Bulma's attention with a small wave.

"Hey! Sorry I'm a little late. I got sidetracked." he said. Bulma quickly noticed the kid holding onto him.

"Who is this? Is he your friend?" she asked. Her gaze moved up and she got a good look at the harpy. "And... him too?"

"Mr. Yamcha helped me and we're friends now!" Chiaotzu exclaimed happily. Bulma laughed and smiled at the kid.

"He did? That's good to hear. And who's your feathered friend?" she said.

"This is Tien! He's my friend too. Since he told me that were-wolves only do wrong things and Yamcha did a right thing and he's a were-wolf I'm making them friends with each other!" Chiaotzu explained with glee. Bulma laughed again and took in the sight of the child spirit holding hands with both of the men.

"That sounds like a great idea! Yamcha doesn't have too many friends. He could use more." she said. She added a playful wink and Yamcha nearly ran away right then. He really couldn't handle cute girls. Thankfully Bulma didn't notice and kept talking. "If I'm not mistaken, you're a harpy, right?"

"Yes." the harpy replied flatly.

"And you're willing to try being friends with Yamcha? From what I've heard about the history between your species that's a huge step forward." Bulma said. She turned to Yamcha again. "Same goes for you. I'm really proud of you for this."

"Uhh... thanks! It's, uh... a new experience." Yamcha said, feeling rather flustered. He could feel himself blushing again. Bulma kept smiling and faced the harpy again.

"Tien, right? I hope you and Yamcha can get along. Trust me, he's a great guy. Promise you two won't try to kill each other?" she said.

"...We will do our best." Tien replied quietly. He glanced at Yamcha for a moment and then turned away. "I can't promise you anything."

"As long as you're trying, that's good enough for me." Bulma said. "I'd love to hang out with you guys but I've still got a few last minute applesauce deliveries to make."

"We could help you with them." Yamcha suggested. Bulma shook her head.

"I can handle it on my own. Besides that, you don't know where anyone lives around here." Bulma pointed out. "Just go have fun with your new friends, okay?"

"O-Okay..." Yamcha said meekly. Anyone else and he would have insisted on helping but he knew better with Bulma. She was not to be crossed in any way. He had learned that shortly after they met when he had tried to help her carry the apple harvest. His ears had been sore all day after she yelled at him. He waved to her as she grabbed her cart of jars and left.

"You have a really pretty friend, . Are you gonna marry her?" Chiaotzu asked. Yamcha blushed a deep red and sputtered for a bit before he could answer.

"N-No! She's just a friend!" he exclaimed. Through his blustering he heard someone snicker. He whipped his head around to glare at Tien but the harpy had already become stone faced once more. Yamcha squared his shoulders and faced forward again. "Besides, I only met her a little while ago. It takes time to form a relationship, much less one that can lead to marriage."

"Oh, okay." said Chiaotzu. This seemed to sate his curiosity as he happily led the two in silence for the next little while. Yamcha sighed and thought back on his plans for the day. They definitely hadn't involved a harpy, of all things, or holding hands with a kid he had just met. It wasn't long before one of the festivals many attractions caught the attention of Chiaotzu. He turned to look up at Tien and Yamcha with wide eyed enthusiasm. "Can I go try that game?"

"Sure kid. Have fun." Yamcha said.

"Be careful." Tien added. Chiaotzu grinned but then looked troubled.

"If I let go then you two might not become friends..." he said with concern. His expression brightened up again as he had an idea. He released their hands only to grab them again and make them hold onto each other. "There! Now, don't let go while I'm gone!"

"... Okay. Run along now." Yamcha said through gritted teeth. Chiaotzu waved at the two as he made his way towards the corn maze he wanted to try.

"Remember I can sense you! So if you let go I'll know!" he told them.

"We're aware, Chiaotzu." Tien assured him. Chiaotzu smiled and ducked into the maze.

"... can he really tell?" Yamcha asked.

"Unfortunately, yes, he can." Tien grumbled. "And knowing Chiaotzu he won't forgive me if I break a promise."

"Great." Yamcha grumbled sarcastically. So now he was stuck actually holding hands with a harpy in public. At this rate his day couldn't get any worse.

"Hey there! I'm with the paper for a nearby town. Could I get a picture of you two for my article?"

Yamcha turned to find himself facing a peppy looking young woman holding a camera and a clipboard. She bore a enthusiastic smile and a name tag reading "Cela Rhei".

"Uh, well, we're-"

"Of course you may." Tien interrupted. Yamcha glared at him and saw the harpy smirking. He managed to twist his grimace into a slightly strained smile. So this was the game Tien wanted to play. Yamcha wasn't about to let himself be outdone. He held the pseudo smile long enough for the reporter to snap a quick picture. Unfortunately he had to keep holding it as Cela didn't leave.

"Can I get your names?" she asked as she readied her clipboard.

"Yamcha."

"Tenshinhan."

"Okay, T- E -N..." Cela mumbled as she jotted down the information. She glanced down at their entwined hands. "Are you two here as a couple today?"

"Yep." Yamcha said through still slightly gritted teeth. "No better place to come for Halloween, right?"

"Oh, absolutely! I've been to dozens of festivals and so far this one is the best by a long shot." Cela said. "I've been told the fireworks are a real treat."

"You can thank the dragons for that." Tien said. Yamcha almost dropped his happy look for one of confusion. He'd assumed the harpy had never come to the town before.

"Dragon fireworks? I can't wait to see!" Cela said. "Although... wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"They launch about a mile from here. The light is strong enough to see for much further." Tien explained. "The Wisps make safer sparklers for the townspeople."

"They really think of everything here, don't they?" Cela said. She looked around them at the crowd with a sense of wonder only city folks had. "It's stunning to see so many monsters in once place as well."

"I'll say. Most of us aren't too social." Yamcha said with a pointed look at Tien. The harpy simply smiled calmly and ignored him. Smug bastard.

"That reminds me! According to my briefing Harpies and Were-wolves are known to be hostile towards each other but you two certainly aren't." Cela said. "What brought the two of you together?"

"Well, uh, it was..." Yamcha started to say. He really didn't have any idea what he was going to finish the sentence with. He'd always been a horrid liar.

"It was last years festival." Tien said. "My brother had gotten lost and Yamcha here helped him find me. He insisted that we try to become friends after that."

"Kids make the purest matchmakers." Cela said with a nostalgic smile. "I take it things went well from there?"

"How could they not?" Yamcha added. He might not be a good liar but he could definitely play up the boyfriend angle better than this harpy could. He put on his best soft expression and leaned into Tien's side. "I mean, it wasn't easy dealing with our families and all that but... we didn't give up. Now I can't imagine a life without this birdbrain."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, furball." Tien said. There was a sharp undertone to his words that Cela obviously didn't pick up on.

"It's so nice to hear a story like that in this day and age. I wish you two the best together and a fun time at the festival." she said. She glanced down at her watch. "I'd better get going. I'm running a tad behind schedule."

"It was a pleasure to meet you ma'am." Tien said. He held out his free hand to shake. "I look forward to reading your article."

"Make sure we get the front page." Yamcha teased. Cela laughed.

"I will. See ya!" she said as she walked off with a wave. Yamcha sighed and felt his anger flooding back. That was possibly the most embarrassing moment of his life so far. He tightened his grip on Tiens hand up to a few degrees above "friendly".

"As soon as Chiaotzu gets back I'm out of here." he growled. Tien glared at him.

"Fine by me." he said curtly. Yamcha felt like there was room for one more insult before the conversation ended but he got distracted before he could come up with anything. Two dark shapes were approaching on the horizon. He couldn't tell what or who they were just yet but hearing Tien muffle a swear sent a chill down his spine. If the harpy was worried...

"You know them?" Yamcha asked. Tien's feathers bristled.

"Unfortunately." he grumbled. His hand that wasn't holding Yamchas began to quiver as his talons grew. Longer feathers began to appear up his arm and soon it had shifted into a full fledged wing.

"I take it you're not fond of them?" Yamcha said. Tien shot him a dirty look.

"Obviously." he spat. "They're not going to be very fond of me either once they get here."

"So... let go?" Yamcha suggested. Tien's grasp only grew stronger.

"It wouldn't matter. They've already seen everything." he said. "... I'm not going to break my promise to Chiaotzu."

"How noble of you." Yamcha said with wavering sarcasm. Tien looked angrier at whomever was coming for them than he had towards Yamcha the whole day. The feathers on his ears quivered as he lowered them back. Yamcha felt a sense of unease growing and instinctively dipped his ears down as well. No matter who these people were it seemed they were in for a fight.

"They'll likely attack from behind. Don't let them get past you." Tien warned him.

"You're sure there's no chance we could talk our way out of this?" Yamcha asked. Tien shook his head.

"The furthest you'd get is them pretending to listen before they strike. Don't trust anything they say." he said. Yamcha noticed that Tien's legs had joined in the trembling and it wasn't from anger.

"... you're scared of them." Yamcha stated. Tien didn't respond. Yamcha sighed. "Fine. Don't tell me why. I'll kick their asses anyways."

"Good luck with that." Tien said with a snort. With those final words of discomfort the two figures landed in front of them. Two harpies, older ones, with graying feathers and formal robes. The one wearing pink stood back while the one in green approached.

"This is where you ran off to Tenshinhan? Really? Of all the places to try and hide." he said. His snide tone and smug smile turned Yamcha's stomach. Even if he hadn't been a harpy this guy was shady as hell.

"Master Shen. Master Tao." Tien said with a small nod to each of them. Shen, the one in the green, grinned wider.

"I'm glad to see you still recognize your superiors." he sneered. "However, don't think it will save you this time."

"You're not getting away from us again." Tao added. "You're too rebellious to let go."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere." Tien said.

"I gathered that from your... choice of companion." Shen said with a quick glance towards Yamcha.

"Watch your beak, crone." Yamcha snapped. He could feel his fur stand on end. At least now he had the chance to vent his frustration.

"A feisty one. What a perfect match." Shen said. "It's almost a shame we have to separate you."

"I'm sure they'll find each other again in the afterlife." Tao said. "How sweet."

"... you're here for a fight to the death? Why didn't you say so?" Yamcha said. He bared his fangs and readied the claws on his free hand. The two harpies laughed.

"I'd liken it more to a struggle in your case." Shen said. "As for Tenshinhan... I doubt he'll be much of a challenge."

"You would dismiss your own training so quickly? Here I thought you still had some scraps of pride left in your work." Tien said. Shen narrowed his eyes and Tao took a step forwards.

"We both know you've never beaten me." Tao snarled. "It'll be just like when you were a hatchling. No contest."

"Picking fights with kids? That's low. I guess Tien was right about your pride." Yamcha said. He was starting to feel uncomfortable with how intimate things were getting. He didn't have a place in whatever drama these harpies had but if they were going to involve him anyways...

"You hold your tongue, mutt. This matter does not concern you." Shen said.

"I'm feeling pretty concerned. Especially with the whole "afterlife" comment earlier. I'd like to enjoy the festival today so let's hurry this up and put you two in the ground." Yamcha retorted. He tensed his muscles and took up the best fighting position he could without dropping Tien's hand. Even if he wanted to at this point the harpy was holding on tight enough that Yamcha couldn't let go. He hoped Chiaotzu showed up soon.

"Tien? What's going on?"

As if on cue the spirit in question appeared a few feet away. He hovered in place nervously and looked between everyone. "Why are your masters here?"

"Chiaotzu, run. Get away." Tien said. He didn't take his eyes of Shen and Tao. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"But..." Chiaotzu started to protest.

"He's right, kid. Find someplace safe to hide." Yamcha added. With a silent nod to Tien they both finally released their grip and let go of each others hands. As soon as they did Tien shifted his arm into his second wing and Yamcha flexed his fingers. Now free, they both dropped into a defensive stance.

"That must be your spirit friend." Shen said. "It would be a shame if anything happened to him..."

"Don't you dare lay so much as a feather on him." Tien hissed. Shen laughed.

"My dear foolish fledgling. I would never..." he said. Something moved and Yamcha realized with a sinking feeling that Tao wasn't standing behind Shen anymore. His instincts kicked in and he leaped towards where Chiaotzu was floating.

"MOVE!" was all he could say before a pair of taloned feet slammed into his chest. He went tumbling into the dirt and struggled to gasp in air. Adrenaline began to flow through him. He stood up and lashed at where he'd last seen his assailant. All he got out of it were a few sliced off feather tips. Tao was out of sight again but his first concern was the kid. He spotted Chiaotzu close by and was relieved to see he wasn't hurt. "I said move!"

"I... but... okay." Chiaotzu stammered. He flew out of the area and Yamcha turned his attention back to his opponent. Tao stood facing him while Shen and Tien fought in the background.

"You could turn out to be rather troublesome after all..." Tao said with a scowl.

"S'what I do." Yamcha said. He swiped at the harpy but none of his attacks landed. Something connected with the back of his neck and he was face down on the road again. He tried to roll over but his limbs were numb. He'd barely managed to get himself lying on his back when he saw Tao flying above him.

"You won't be doing it anymore. A temporary stun to keep you from squirming and then..." Tao said. He abruptly stopped flapping his wings and dropped down. He landed squarely on Yamcha's leg. Yamcha let out a howl of pain as he felt the bone snap. He struggled to get up but Tao held him down. The harpy raised his wing and his talon tipped fingers glinted in the afternoon light. "A simple slice to the neck to put you out."

The blow never came as something suddenly came flying at Tao. He changed the direction of his attack and slashed at his new opponent. Through the pain Yamcha felt a heavy dose of surprise as he saw who it was. Tien steadied his footing and stared daggers at Tao. Blood dripped down from a gash across his chest.

"Really? For a mutt like him? You really are hopeless." Tao said. Shen came up from behind Tien and knocked him to the ground.

"A stain on our reputation." Shen said. Tien tried to get up but Shen kept him pinned. Tao stepped off of Yamcha and approached Shen and Tien.

"A stain I'll be glad to wipe clean." he said as he raised his wing again.

Within seconds Yamcha had moved. He felt a surge of something, not quite adrenaline this time, and even with the white hot agony shooting up his leg he managed to get close enough to Tao to strike. He opened his maw as far as he could and bit down on the harpies shoulder. Tao screeched and tried to push him off. Yamcha refused to let go and used his hands to hold Tao's arms back. He felt feather and bone alike crunch and splinter under his teeth. He felt his leg give out and let the momentum carry him backwards, taking Tao with him. The two thrashed in dirt now speckled red. Yamcha braced all the working limbs he had against Tao's body and pulled. With a jerking motion he shook his head back and forth as hard as he could. A wet tearing sound reached his ears and suddenly the resistance was gone. He kicked Tao off of him and spat out the now ripped off wing. He tried to get up again but failed. His leg was throbbing and he was pretty sure he'd lost a tooth. Covered in bloody dirt and feathers he could only watch as a lopsided and livid Tao came at him with a roar. Then...

Gunshots pierced the air. Everyone in the battle froze and looked towards the source.

"Alright, ya mangy squawkers! Get outta here before the next ones hit cha!" shouted the town sheriff.

Yamcha didn't know if the two harpies complied or not as his conciseness picked that exact moment to fade out.


End file.
